Commenty Central: The Best of This Week’s Nattering

by Cathyfly, August 16th, 2009 in Beaut.ie blather |

Things got all literary on the Blather this week! There was nearly a Beaut.ie virtual book club going on as you swapped reading recommendations…

Babyinacorner reckoned that: “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is brilliant – a real mystery! I loved the feminist theme running through it too – the female characters are really strong – Lisbeth Salander rocks!! Also its the type of book that anything could happen (and does) to the main characters even the ones you love. Word of warning, some of it is a little graphic!”

Babaduck recommended: “Dorothy Koomson’s books are fabulous – well written and very engaging. I have ‘em all!”

Big Eyes isn’t afraid of putting in the hours for the sake of a riveting read: “Just finished Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts-really good read – would want to be at 936 pages”

Joanne was one of many who recommended this particular favourite: “Another vote for the Lovely Bones, I’ve read it twice. Looking forward to the film.”

Prudence said: “I only just discovered Sarah Waters when her latest book came out (Little Stranger, now long-listed for The Booker ). I have now read Nightwatch, Tipping The Velvet and am half-way through Fingersmith. Oh the joy of finding a new author!”

Then from reading, to recessionista bargains – a tip off on free bareMinerals goodies on Wednesday led Twinkletoes to quip:

*”*These are not just deals…these are Beaut.ie deals…”

to which Aphrodite (and probably lots of us) wanted to know, “Twinkletoes – were you doing The Voice when you wrote that? I was when I read it!”

There were also lots of comments on Monday’s “Do you travel to get your beauty fix?” post, where I found out that my regular trek from Dublin 8 to Dun Laoghaire for my wax at Waxperts was only in the ha’penny place compared to the dedication of Beaut.ies like Lynnie: “I usually go to Ellen for all my waxing needs, which means getting up shortly after 5 in the morning for the 05.50am train out of Portarlington every 6 weeks or so. Into Heuston around 7am, LUAS down to Connolly, and DART out to Dun Laoghaire for 8am. Usually make it to my desk afterwards for about 09.20am.”

And asleep on the desk by lunchtime, perhaps?

Finally, we discovered on Wednesday’s Blather that Glitterkitty obviously doesn’t share Tcup’s and my guilty crush on medical telly totty Dr Mark Hamilton:

“I think he’d look better w a different haircut, a different face, a different voice and a bit more height on him … but that’s just me ”

Fifty press ups and a mung bean milkshake for that one, Ms GK!

Chat to you all on Monday.

Tags: commenty central

bareMinerals Freebies worth €25 for Beaut.ies at Natural Serenity!

by Kirstie, August 12th, 2009 in Beaut.ienomics - brilliant budget buys |

Bare Minerals freebies

Galway-based Natural Serenity has featured on Beaut.ie a time or two before: reader Niamh’s had her eyes done in-store and they were the first shop to sell Bare Escentuals’ bareMinerals in the west of Ireland.

They’re now the proud possessors of another first: their online store, NaturalSerenity.ie, is selling bareMinerals at STERLING prices! Yup – and that means savings. So if you’re a fan of the brand, then this is a great deal.

But as this is Beaut.ie, we do more than great deals (read this bit in a Sultry M&S voice) – and Natural Serenity have put together a really great offer just for us: the first 30 of you guys to buy bareMinerals through the site will receive a lucky gift-style surprise worth up to €25. That can include lipsticks from the new range, popular lip glosses, mascaras and other goodies.

Not half bad, eh? But how does one go about scoring one of these ace gifts?

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Bare Escentuals, beautienomics, free gift, natural serenity

Free Bare Minerals make-under at BT2: you, only better

by Aphrodite, November 4th, 2008 in Bases, Foundations & Concealers, Brands, treatment & product reviews |

Scooping up my little Cosmo Cat I told him “Oh Cosmo, never drink”.

With an indignant squawk he squirmed down and clattered out of the cat door, showing me exactly what he thought of me.

It was true, I looked like hell. I made my way into BT2 to get a BareMinerals makeunder, thinking – there’s no way they’re gonna be able to make me look any better. My skin was red and blotchy, my eyes had dark circles… you get the picture. So to say I wasn’t convinced this would work was an understatement.

Picking the shade that matched my skin tone best, Dani swirled, tapped and buffed mineral foundation onto my face. “More?” she asked handing me a mirror. “Oh definitely more” I agreed. In fact I wanted more of everything. I wanted more concealer, more bronzer and definitely more eyeshadow. I was very taken with the eyeshadows in fact. Ranging in shade from the ultra subtle to the sparkly and glittery they were gorgeous.

Half of my face was made up so I could compare. The difference was striking and although I honestly couldn’t see any lines or in fact any trace of the makeup on my face it was undoubtedly even-ing out my skintone, adding colour in all the right places and brightening. Suddenly the left side of my face didn’t look hungover at all. And when the right side was made up to match I started to look forward to life again.

I would say Bare Minerals are ideal for those of you who like a natural, pure look during the day. If you don’t like heavy liquid foundations clogging your pores you’re sure to like this – you can’t even feel it. Unlike cheaper alternatives on the market no talc or bulking agents are used – meaning the product doesn’t settle into lines or cake. And if you’ve got oily skin this might be just the solution to stop your foundation sliding off your face by lunchtime.

If you call into BT2s Dani or one of her colleagues will give you a complimentary lesson, help you to choose the shades that are right for you and make you up so you can see the results for yourself.

If you’d like to try this out for yourself with no obligation to buy (and you should, you’ve absolutely nothing to lose) phone 01 6056747 and make an appointment . If you do decide to purchase my pick is the bargaintastic Starter Kit (at €67.50 it contains all the products plus brushes you’ll need to kick you off and its worth over twice the kit price).

Upon my return home Cosmo met me at the door and ran busily towards his bowls to get fed. All was right with the world again.

BT2, Grafton St, Dublin tel. 01 6056747

Tags: mineral makeup

Niamh Eyes up bareMinerals at Natural Serenity

by Kirstie, September 19th, 2008 in Beauty Emporiums, Brands, treatment & product reviews, Eyes, Lips and Cheeks |

bareminerals eyes kit

Last Friday we dispatched beaut.ie reader Niamh to Galway’s Natural Serenity salon. As the name suggests, pure, natural beauty is the order of the day here, and brands like Aveda, bareMinerals and Lavera line the shelves. A fan of the brand already, Niamh popped in to have her eyes accentuated with one of bareMinerals’ eye makeup ranges, and from a selection, she opted for the natural shades in the Get Started Eyes kit.

Beginning with a swift removal of the eye makeup she’d gone in with, and a quick touch-up of her existing bareMinerals foundation and concealer, the main action commenced. Happily noting that owner Yvonne took her through each step so that she could recreate the look at home, Niamh told us that, “she began by sweeping peach puff up into my brow bone using the eye defining brush, follwed by creamy beige”. Shadow in soft brown was applied to lids using a contour brush, and Niamh was also shown how to use a chocolate brown powder liner and eyeliner brush to create either a light or heavy line. Mascara, and gloss – also both by bareMinerals – finished off her makeover.

So, what did our bauld beaut.ie tester think? “The result is an easy to replicate natural look, that can easily be updated from day to night – which was proven when I met with friends later that evening”, she revealed, adding that, “bareMinerals give something more to their customers – they sell a lot of their products in kits designed to flatter every skin tone, each one with easy to follow instructions – useful for people like me who are unsure of how to replicate looks like smokey eyes.” She also likes the fact that, “the cost of each pack is lower than the actual retail value of the items.”

Get Started Eyes kit retails at €67.50 and is worth over €94 – for that you’ll get 3 shadows, 1 liner and 3 brushes.

Fancy recreating Niamh’s positive experience? Find Natural Serenity at 1 Rockfort House, Augustine Street, Galway.

Tags: eyes, salon, tested, treatment

Galway Girls: get a free Bare Minerals makeover at Natural Serentity

by Aphrodite, June 19th, 2008 in Beaut.ienomics - brilliant budget buys, Beauty Emporiums |

Tar-ump tar-ump!

It’s the craze that’s sweeping through makeup bags everywhere. Makeup so pure you can sleep in it.* Read Kirstie’s review here.

Bare Escentuals i.d. BareMinerals makeup has at last arrived in the Whest. In Natural Serentity in Galway to be precise. And to celebrate, their professional makeup artists are offering you the chance to call in and get made over for free. Try out the range and learn how to use it with no obligation to buy.

Now there have been many imitators, but this is the original mineral makeup and devotees swear it’s the best.

Sound good?

Call 091 864286 to make your appointment or call into Natural Serenity (1 Rockfort House, Augustine St, Galway). This offer lasts until the end of July.

*Though Beaut.ie recommends you take it off anyway. Don’t want yis to be getting into bad habits.

Yay! Bare Escentuals is Coming to BT2!

by Kirstie, April 7th, 2008 in Bases, Foundations & Concealers, Beaut.ienomics - brilliant budget buys |

bare escentuals

I know lots of you are fans of mineral makeup and frequently search the net for deals on one of the best brands about – Bare Escentuals, a Californian company who make the id BareMinerals line.

Hard to find here unless you scour spas and salons, the hunt just became easier – from the end of the month, you’ll be able to buy all products in BT2 in Dundrum and Blanchardstown. And in even better news, their ace Get Started kit will be available – about €64 will get you two shades of foundation powder with spf15 ; 3 brushes; mineral veil, used to set your look; Warmth all over face colour to use as blush; bare Vitamins Skin Rev-er Upper, to be used before applying bare Minerals to rev up your skin, and a DVD to teach you their famous swirl and tap method.

Not bad , eh? Especially when you consider that each mineral foundation powder costs about €32 solo – meaning the kit offers a brilliant saving.

Tags: Bare Escentuals, foundation, minerals

Bare Escentuals Newbie Kit on HQhair

by Kirstie, October 3rd, 2007 in Bases, Foundations & Concealers |

bare escentuals

I noticed a couple of you commenting on a mineral makeup thread about Bare Escentuals yesterday. If you’ve looked into this type of makeup before, then you’ll know that this brand is seriously one of the best. It’s hard to come by here though, and tends to be a lot more expensive too.

Which can, of course, be a problem if you’re not sure you want to ditch the foundation-powder route and go mineral. Splashing out a lot of cash on something you’ve never really tried is a gamble, and this is why you can buy starter kits. But as one user commented, they seem to be wildly expensive here – certainly in the salon she saw them, they were charging a massive â‚¬90.
So I thought you might like to know about the Bare Escentuals Newbie Kit you can buy on HQhair - it’s a mere â‚¬45.50 and contains:

i.d bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation Light 2g
Revolutionary 100% pure bareMinerals foundation, leaves you feeling like you are not wearing any make-up at all but with the most amazing flawless finish.
i.d bareMinerals Soft Focus Warmth 0.57g
Provides a natural sun-kissed glow to cheeks and face, brush on for a radiant boost.
i.d bareMinerals Mineral Veil 0.57g
The â€˜finishing touchâ€™ to your makeup. Mineral Veil morphs into your skin infusing it with softness and light, giving the illusion of a veil. Helps eliminate unwanted shine and minimizes pores.
i.d flawless application brush
A professional brush with natural, soft tapered bristles designed to hold the perfect amount of bareMinerals for a perfect finish every time.

Tags: Bare Escentuals, foundation, Make-up, minerals

Love Lula Stocking id bareMinerals!

by Admin, April 30th, 2007 in Bases, Foundations & Concealers |

bare minerals Oh holy day! Fab organic emporium, LoveLula, are now stocking the renowned mineral foundation by id bareMinerals, who are one of the pioneers of this whole minerals lark. If you’re new to this buzz word, let me give you a quick recap. Minerals are set to be the next big thing in beauty. They’re completely natural, hypoallergenic, non comdogenic, suitable for those with hyper-sensitive and post surgical skin, and are so kind you can even sleep in them.

Minerals are already big news in the States and are just starting to take off here. Their popularity has been slow to build, mostly because of the fact that people don’t understand exactly how a powder could be a foundation, how to apply them, and most importantly, where to get them. And they’re all legitimate concerns, especially if regular beauty products baffle you to begin with. Mineral foundation is generally in the form of a powder that you buff onto the skin using a brush. You work the powder into the skin and it works with your own natural oils to give you a natural, luminous finish, the coverage of which is adjustable. They can be messy and time consuming, but like all new products, I’d expect to see them refined and improved over time.

If you’re keen to give minerals a go, then id bareMinerals is truly one of the best to start with. Buy from LoveLula for €35.39.

Tags: foundation, LoveLula, minerals

Mineral Makeup from Urban Decay

by Kirstie, January 11th, 2007 in Bases, Foundations & Concealers |

urban decay mineral makeup Mineral makeup is making more of an impact across the pond at the moment, but I have a feeling that’s set to change, and we’ll be seeing more mainstream cosmetic companies launching mineral ranges in the near future.

Currently companies like Jane Iredale, i.d bareMinerals, Becca, GloMinerals and Bare Essentuals are all flying the mineral flag, but these products can be hard to come by here. And why are mineral products so good? Well, they’re hypo-allergenic, contain no talc, and they’re suitable for all skin types – even the most sensitive of skins. They allow your skin to breathe, and they’re non-comedogenic. They tend not to contain nasty chemical preservatives either, as the nature of the mineral ingredients means no bacteria can form, so no nasty additives are needed. The one drawback is they can be messy and hard to use

Urban Decay are on the case though – they’ve a range of affordable and accessible mineral foundations called Surreal Skin which they claim are the answer to the non-user friendly aspect of mineral products. The foundation pot comes with a sweet little attached puff on the top. They say “just puff it on for a flawless finish anywhere â€“ at your vanity or on the subway. Use a little for sheer coverage or keep puffing for heavier coverage.” Ok! Other advantages to this system means it’s very handbag friendly.

The finish is semi-matte finish instead of the shiny finish other mineral foundations provide, so you’ll get a no-makeup look that’s totally natural. You can buy Surreal Skin (in six shades) from Urban Decay stockists for about â‚¬26-â‚¬27.

Tags: minerals, Urban Decay

Ask and you Shall Receive: Mineral ID makeup

by Kirstie, November 16th, 2006 in Ask, and you shall receive, Bases, Foundations & Concealers |

Reader Erin contated us to ask

Just trying to find Mineral ID make up products. Tried some at my local spa in Killarney, but they don’t sell it. Any ideas??

Thanks for your help and keep up the good work!!!

id bareminerals Aww, thanks Erin! We love a bit of flattery. Right, onto business. My extensive research methods (i.e. my quick on the draw Googling) has revealed that there doesn’t seem to be an actual product called Mineral ID, but there is a range called i.d. bareMinerals, so I am guessing this is what you’re after. It’s a Bare Esscentuals brand, so you know it’s going to be good.

This range looks FAB – I am dying to properly try out mineral makeup myself. I have a teeny sample of Jane Iredale powder and it’s gorgeous. But this stuff is far bigger in the US than it is in our part of the world so as yet it can be hard to come by here. Mineral makeup is available easily through Sephora stores and their websites in the US and Europe, but they don’t ship here. Thankfully though, Amazon.com is on the case. They have a good selection of the i.d. bareMinerals range.

Tags: Bare Escentuals, minerals